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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26015290">Crab Bucket Mentality</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ssalison/pseuds/ssalison'>ssalison</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Temeraire - Naomi Novik</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crab Bucket Mentality, Gen, Temeraire is radicalized by Iskierka, Tutor William Laurence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:28:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>549</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26015290</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ssalison/pseuds/ssalison</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“I see,” said Will (he didn’t).</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>William Laurence &amp; Temeraire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Crab Bucket Mentality</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Will had only been tutoring Temeraire for a week, but he was beginning to see why he went through tutors faster than the average woman went through hair ties. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not that it was at all bad, of course. Will found himself enjoying the outbursts Temeraire would come up with as he pored over some troubling bit of algebra (“I just feel like the Pythagorean Theorem could have a less silly </span>
  <em>
    <span>name</span>
  </em>
  <span>, is all”). He didn't even mind when Temeraire would ask him to read aloud from Jane Austen, or Charlotte Bronte, or even, on one memorable occasion, the encyclopedia. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was only once Temeraire got to his U.S History homework that there began to be a little bit of trouble. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They were sprawled across the living room in Temeraire’s house as usual, with his homework laid haphazardly across the table. Will was on the other side, typing away at his paper. It was due next Friday and Professor Celeritas was infamously strict with deadlines. Temeraire had his workbook open to a page on—Will glanced over—the Industrial Revolution. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, I hated that unit when I was your age,” commented Will offhandedly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Temeraire frowned down at his homework, where he had scribbled the words “nominative determinism” in the margin with pen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you heard of the crab bucket mentality Laurence?” Temeraire asked abruptly. He set down his pen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Will blinked. “No, I can't say I have.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, basically, it’s the idea that if you put crabs in a bucket they can't escape because they keep pulling each other back in.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I see,” said Will (he didn’t). </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Iskierka said that was why we shouldn't help people, because we’re all just crabs that pull each back into the bucket, or whatever.” Will sighed. Iskierka was the neighborhood girl Temeraire was forever feuding with, but he also knew Iskierka through her older brother, who he went to college with. It did seem like such an Iskierka thing to say. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He peered down at Temeraire. “You know that’s not true Temeraire,” he said gently. “First of all, we’re not crabs. And I don't think you’re liable to pull me down into any buckets if I decided to help your mother with the groceries.” Not that he would ever need to; Temeraire’s family were much too well-bred to not have some staff to do that sort of thing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh I know </span>
  <em>
    <span>that,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>said Temeraire scoffingly. He tossed his head. “Plus, no one ever seems to have bothered to wonder how those crabs ended up in a bucket in the first place.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Er, I would imagine through some person coming along and putting them in a bucket.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Temeraire jumped up, much to the startlement of Will. “Exactly! Ex</span>
  <em>
    <span>actly</span>
  </em>
  <span>! Some silly human with powers these crabs don't have comes along the way and puts them in this terrible situation.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boy jumped to the couch, where he began walking along the cushions absentmindedly. “So you see, it’s not the fault of the crabs. We have to consider the </span>
  <em>
    <span>root</span>
  </em>
  <span> of the problem, Laurence.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” murmured Will, finally grasping Temeraire’s point. “Yes, that does put a different spin on it, doesn't it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Temeraire looked down at Will from his perch on the couch, eyes sparkling with triumph. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The homework lay quite forgotten on the table. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wordvomited this after reading a really cool tumblr post abt the crab mentality by user dragon-in-a-fez </p>
<p>comments and feedback appreciated as always :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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